The last time the University of Central Arkansas Bears and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville Razorbacks competed in a team sporting event Harry Truman was president, a loaf of bread cost 14 cents, the average price of a new car was $1,250 and gasoline was 16 cents a gallon. The year was 1948 and the last game played between the Bears and the Razorbacks was baseball.
The two schools competed in baseball, men’s basketball and football. UCA and the U of A did not schedule each other every year but from 1921 to 1948 they met in athletic competition a total of 26 times in three different team sports.
The first football game between the two state schools was played at Fayetteville on September 29, 1923, when UCA had 425 students and the U of A had 1,360 students. This particular game was considered by some to be the biggest in the state for that weekend. According to the Log Cabin Democrat, “Arkansas State Normal (now the University of Central Arkansas) and the University of Arkansas in their game today in Fayetteville will hold the center of the state’s football interest. Coach Schmidt at Fayetteville is said to have a squad stripped of its best men because of injuries and also by the loss of Glenn McCollough, star halfback, who has transferred to Southern Methodist University.” Additionally, the Razorbacks were weakened by several injuries that had occurred in the previous week’s game with Tahlequah Normal (now Northeastern State University).
The University of Arkansas Boosters Club was a wonderful host and rolled out the red carpet for the Bears. After the Bears arrived in Fayetteville, they were treated to a reception in their honor and a dance was held for them on Saturday night. The Bears’ coach, Guy “Big Dan” Estes, was very familiar with the University of Arkansas and was a former Razorback football star who played for Coach Hugo Bezdek. During his coaching career Bezdek, who was born in Prague, Czechoslovakia, served as head coach for the University of Arkansas, University of Oregon and Penn State University. He was admitted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
The Razorbacks proved too much for the Bears and won the game by a score of 32 to 0. However, the Log Cabin Democrat sports writer put a positive spin on the loss by running the headline “Bears Hold Back Porker Team, 32 – 0.” The article read in part, “State Normal held the University of Arkansas to a creditably low score Saturday in the opening game at Fayetteville, which the Porkers won, 32 to 0. Extremely hot weather greatly slowed down the work of the opposing elevens and caused the varsity (U of A) to use 24 men and the Normal, 18, the full number taken by Coaches Estes and Wray on the trip.”
The second game played between the Razorbacks and Bears was on September 25, 1926. This time the Razorbacks had fewer injuries and were said to be in great physical condition. According to the Log Cabin Democrat, “The entire squad of the 30 – odd members is deemed by Coach Francis A. Schmidt to be in the best physical condition of any Razorback team in recent years.” The Log Cabin Democrat report was right on target, the Razorbacks were in good shape and beat UCA by a score of 60 to 0.
According to the Log Cabin Democrat, “Flashy work by the Razorback backfield, moving behind a strong forward wall and aided by good interference proved too strong for the State Teachers College in Saturday’s game at Fayetteville, which the University of Arkansas won, 60 to 0, despite the game battle staged by the Bears. The score is more of an indication of Razorback strength than Bear weakness.”
The Bears not only lost on the scoreboard, but also the statistical beating was just as bad. The Bears threw four passes, two of which were intercepted. The Razorbacks had 18 first downs and the Bears had only two, both gained by penalties. The game was witnessed by 2,000 spectators and due to cold weather many fans built bonfires in order to stay warm. According to the U.S. Weather Bureau Climatological Data for September 1926, the high for the day before the game was 94 degrees F and the day of the game the temperature dropped to 44 degrees F.
The third and final game between the Bears and Razorbacks was played on September 28, 1946. However, the Bears were not playing the varsity unit this time, but were up against the Razorbacks “B” team. The game was played at Tiger Stadium in Little Rock with the Bears losing by a score of 18 to 0.
Admittedly, the Bears did not successfully compete with the Razorbacks in football. However, UCA’s cross-town rival, Hendrix College, tied the Razorbacks twice, according to former Hendrix Warrior basketball coach, Cliff Garrison. In 1920 the Hendrix Bulldogs, under Coach Charles R. Woody, fought the Razorbacks to a 0-0 tie. In 1932 Hendrix, now coached by legendary Coach Ivan Grove, tied the Razorbacks again with the same score, 0-0.
While UCA did not win any games against the Razorbacks in football, it was a different story in baseball. The Bears and Razorbacks observed a home and home series and played a total of 17 games, according to Ted Worley, former UCA historian.
The Bears beat the Razorbacks in baseball the first time they played in 1921, with the Bears winning 4 to 2. The Bears swept all three games with the Razorbacks in 1947 and beat the Hogs 5-4, 10-9, and 9-5. All three of those games were played in Conway.
The baseball series between the Bears and Razorbacks is tied, with the Bears winning 7 games and the Razorbacks winning 7 games and 3 games ending in a tie. While a draw or a tie is certainly unusual in baseball, it can happen under the right circumstances. After the next season (1948) ended, the Razorbacks were never again on UCA’s schedule.
The Bears and Razorbacks also played men’s basketball against one another. The Hogs dominated UCA in this sport winning all six games played between the two schools. The scores and year of the basketball games are as follows: 1924 – UA 62 UCA 28; 1924 – UA 34 UCA 14; 1933-1934 – UA 54 UCA 30; 1935-1936 – UA 42 UCA 38; 1935-1936 – UA 66 UCA 27; and 1946-1947 – UA 59 UCA 39.
Currently, UCA and the U of A do not engage in athletic competition with one another. However, in recent years they have played some of the same opponents and both have engaged the following universities in at least one sport; Missouri State University, Tennessee Tech University, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), Wichita State University, University of Kentucky, University of Oklahoma, University of Missouri, Stephen F. Austin, Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State University, Texas State University and the University of Texas at Arlington.
When asked about the U of A’s current policy on playing in-state opponents, Kevin Trainor, Associate Athletic Director of Public Relations for the University of Arkansas, stated in an e-mail, “It has been a long-standing policy of the University of Arkansas Athletic Department to not schedule competitions in team sports against other institutions within the state. The practice began with former coach and athletic director John Barnhill and has been continued in the years following its introduction. The policy has enabled fans from all around the state to be united in their support for the University of Arkansas while also supporting the other intercollegiate athletic programs within Arkansas.”
Author’s Note: Sources for this article were The Echo, the Scroll, the Log Cabin Democrat, UCASports.com record books for football, baseball and men’s basketball that are compiled and maintained by Steve East, “A History of the Arkansas State Teachers College” by Ted Worley, University of Arkansas Office of Institutional Research, Penn State University website, Coach Cliff Garrison and Kevin Trainor. – Jimmy Bryant, director of UCA Archives